Mayo Clinic Residency Match 2019
In March, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine students participated in National Resident Match Day. During this exciting annual ritual, they learned where they’ll spend the next several years of their lives. Learn more about some of these bright future Mayo Clinic alumni — where they’ve been, where they’re headed and what motivates them.
Claire Brutocao, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Butler Hospital-Brown University Providence, Rhode Island, Psychiatry
Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
Hometown: Downers Grove, Illinois
Dream job: Working as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in an academic setting with a side job at a bakery
Why you chose MCASOM: The people I met on my interview day — faculty, staff and other interviewees – were wonderful. I knew they would inspire and help me become the best doctor and person I could be over the next four years.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Cosima Swintak (P ’07, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), Dr. Brian Palmer (MED ’04) and Dr. J. Michael Bostwick (P ’98, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology) were all instrumental in my decision to pursue psychiatry. They provided invaluable mentorship and support along the way. I aspire to be like each of them!
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: The needs of the patient are the only needs to be considered. I will carry this core value with me throughout my career.
What would people be surprised to know about you: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a roller coaster designer or professional Irish dancer.
Christopher Dinh, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Internal Medicine
Undergraduate: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Dream job: Teaching faculty at an academic medical center
Why you chose MCASOM: Mayo Clinic is an incredible place to learn and practice medicine. From my inspiring classmates to amazing mentors and world-expert clinicians, there is no shortage of opportunities.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: I’ve had so many amazing mentors while at Mayo — too many to list here!
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: The needs of the patient come first.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I enjoy competing in marathons and triathlons, including two marathons during medical school.
Best advice you’ve received: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Merit George, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Internal Medicine
Undergraduate: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Hometown: Medford, New York
Dream job: Clinician educator with clinical research and service opportunities within my chosen specialty
Why you chose MCASOM: The opportunity to receive an affordable medical education at an institution that is known not only for its clinical and research strengths but also its emphasis on genuine collegiality
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: My research mentors at Mayo include Dr. Elie Berbari (INFD ’98, chair, Division of Infectious Diseases), Dr. M. Rizwan Sohail (INFD ’05, Division of Infectious Diseases), Dr. Zerelda Esquer Garrigos (INFD ’19, Division of Infectious Diseases), Dr. Dietlind Wahner-Roedler (I ’72, HEM ’74, Division of General Internal Medicine), and Dr. Kurt Angstman (FM ’89, Department of Family Medicine). My IM career advisor Dr. John Kisiel (I ’07, CMR ’08, GINE ’90, GI ’12, CTSA ’13, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology), our dean Dr. Wolanskyj-Spinner (I ’95, HEMO ’98, Division of Hematology) and all the wonderful consultants I have worked with over the last few years, especially in internal medicine: Dr. Karna Sundsted (I ’13, Division of General Internal Medicine), Dr. Caroline Burton (I ’91), Dr. Meltiady Issa (HIM ’12, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine), and Dr. Chandrasagar (Sagar) Dugani (HIM ’18, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine).
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Learning in medicine is a continuously evolving process. No single book, app, lecture or rotation is going to easily answer all your future questions about a subject, and you have to learn how to manage the discomfort this will inevitably bring.
Best advice you’ve received: Do what truly brings you happiness but also lets you sleep at night with a clear conscience — not just what others think you should do or what you think might please others.
Shemonti Hasan, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Scottsdale, Arizona, Neurology
Undergraduate: University of Arizona, Tucson
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona
Dream job: Working in a field where I can wake up every morning feeling excited to learn something new
Why you chose MCASOM: There’s an intimate and close-knit culture here that made me feel right at home when I interviewed. I realized that the vast amount of support here would allow me to become a physician who knows how to spread kindness toward patients and give them a source of strength. In addition, the atmosphere at the school would foster the skills I need to eventually become an expert in my field.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: It is a privilege and honor to serve patients and their families. Be humble, and be kind.
Best advice you’ve received: Believe in yourself
Deeyar Itayem, M.D. candidate
Residency match: University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis, Otolaryngology
Undergraduate: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Hometown: Germantown, Tennessee
Dream job: Otolaryngology subspecialty
Why you chose MCASOM: For not only the best medical education but also a journey with the best people
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Erin O’Brien (ENT ’12, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery) has been an incredible mentor in the OR and clinic and in my research. Truthfully though, I owe the entire otolaryngology department for my success. I can’t thank them enough for their support.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Successful people have successful habits.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I studied abroad in Denmark and learned Danish.
Best advice you’ve received: Bring the joy.
Courtney L. James, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Orlando Health Orlando, Florida, Emergency Medicine
Undergraduate: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Hometown: Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Dream job: Emergency medicine physician serving a predominantly underserved population and working to improve the health and well-being of my community
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: My family and my patients
Why you chose MCASOM: Institution values and “the needs of the patient come first” paired with a world-class education, mentorship, flexibility and opportunity to explore my passions in medicine
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Scott Silvers (EM ’01, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic in Florida), Dr. W. David Freeman (TY ’02, N ’05, CCMN ’06, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic in Florida), Dr. Kharmene Sunga (EM ’10, Department of Emergency Medicine), and Dr. Thomas Hellmich (EM ’12, chair, Department of Emergency Medicine)
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Take the time to observe and listen.
Grace Kim, M.D. candidate
Residency match: University of California-San Francisco Fresno, California, Medicine-Preliminary; Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Dermatology
Undergraduate: University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Hometown: San Diego, California
Dream job: Pediatric dermatologist involved in medical education and service
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: I am motivated by a desire to serve my community and use the skills I have learned to work with patients and make a positive impact on their lives.
Why you chose MCASOM: I was drawn to the small class size, boundless opportunities available for research and, most importantly, the kind, compassionate physicians who take time out to teach and mentor students.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Julia Lehman (DERM ’10, DPTH ’11) and Dr. Megha Tollefson (MED ’03, PD ’06, DERM ’10) — both in the Department of Dermatology — have been incredible mentors to me during my time at Mayo.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: The needs of the patient come first.
What would people be surprised to know about you: Probably the fact that I am a third-degree black belt and a former world champion.
Mykhaylo (Misha) Krushelnytskyy, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Northwestern McGaw/NMH/VA Chicago, Illinois, Neurological Surgery
Undergraduate education: University of Washington, Seattle
Hometown: Everett, Washington
Dream job: Academic neurosurgery
Why you chose MCASOM: I chose MCASOM for its unparalleled resources, mentorship, and commitment to excellence.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Kendall Lee (NS ’06, Department of Neurologic Surgery)
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: The needs of the patient come first.
What would people be surprised to know about you: Growing up, I had a dream to travel around the world in 90 days.
Best advice you’ve received: Keep it simple.
Gohar Manzar, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Memorial Sloan-Kettering New York, New York, Transitional; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas, Radiation Oncology
Graduate education: Ph.D., biomedical engineering, University of Iowa
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Arlington
Hometown: Clinton, Iowa (childhood), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (current)
Dream job: Academic radiation oncologist by day and physician writer/poet by weekend. I would love to one day be involved in a medical school’s administration. In research, I hope to be a scientific physician, if not a physician-scientist, collaborating with basic science investigators to engage in translational cancer research that progress into therapies. Although funding and collaboration necessary in science likely make this impossible, I’d love to harbor a basement lab in my future house someday.
Why you chose MCASOM: I knew by coming here I would emerge the very best version of myself and be the kind of doctor I would want for myself or my family. There is so much heart and mission imbued in every aspect of this magical institution, a veritable Disney of medicine. I was bewitched by how outstanding, sincere and passionate Mayo Clinic was about what mattered most to me — high-quality patient care embodied in a central motto that resonated perfectly with me. I loved the small class size of 50-ish students who would become my lifelong friends and colleagues. I wanted to be a part of all of that. At orientation, my interviewer, Dr. Janet Vittone (CIM ’95, Division of General Internal Medicine) greeted me with a hug, and I knew then that I had found family here.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Robert Foote (N ’79, chair, Department of Radiation Oncology) and Dr. Daniel Ma (RADO ’11, CTSA ’15, Department of Radiation Oncology) have been outstanding research and life mentors, allowing me the great privilege to participate in inspiring research that answers important questions voiced by patients with head and neck cancer every day that I spent in the clinic. Dr. Sudershan Bhatia (University of Iowa) was the first radiation oncologist to introduce me to the field; the influence this has had on my life is immeasurable. Dr. Kenneth Olivier (RADO ’02, Department of Radiation Oncology) and Dr. Michele Halyard (RADO ’89, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic in Arizona; dean, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona), were the first role models I interacted with in radiation oncology at Mayo Clinic, and they welcomed me warmly into this remarkable field. I also have many junior-level mentors in the Department of Radiation Oncology: Dr. Scott Lester (RADO ’19, graduating chief resident), Dr. Safia Ahmed (MED ’13, RADO ’18) and Dr. Trey Mullikin (MED ’16). Dr. Dario Pasalic (MED ’16) also has been a mentor. These mentors have had a tremendous impact on me and in my education. They show me every day what it means to be invested in something bigger than yourself and that compassionate care and a great attitude are no substitute for technical prowess and intelligence.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: A combination of things that reinforce patient-centered care, which came from mentors, lectures, personal observation and an appreciation for how the humanities intersect with medicine:
- Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always. (Hippocrates)
- Always treat each patient like they are your mother or father, and you will never make the wrong choice (John Stulak, M.D., S ’06, TS ’08, CS ’09, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery)
- Obliterate clinical distance: care like a nurse, touch, empathize and answer the hard questions the patient has a right to know instead of dancing around them.
- As a healer, be aware of the enormous privilege you have in the space you occupy, in the conversations you hear and the value of just being present; also remember that voices travel farther than you think.
- Patients are the experts on their own health: trust them when they tell you what they need and want and their limitations.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I was legally emancipated when I was 15, at which time I started graduate school while my parents were out of the country.
Best advice you’ve received: I have two pieces of advice that have always stayed with me: “Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.” (Rumi) This reminds me to be humble when I get lost trying to dream big, and take responsibility for things that are beyond my control.
“Let it go, let it leave, let it happen; nothing in this world was promised, guaranteed, or belonged to you anyway.” (Rupi Kaur) This put words to a philosophy that has carried me through many setbacks, heartbreaks and hardships. It does not diminish anyone’s struggle while reminding us that we are not entitled to anything except our choices to make the most out of what we do have.
John Moubarek, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Riverside Community Hospital Riverside, California, Emergency Medicine
Undergraduate: University of California, Irvine
Hometown: La Mirada, California
Dream job: Just a normal ol’ community emergency physician. I will pepper in medical trips abroad with family.
Why you chose MCASOM: I didn’t. Luckily, they chose me.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Humility.
Best advice you’ve received: Whatever decision you make, just don’t have regrets.
What would people be surprised to know about you: This half-Egyptian, half-Mexican got married (without classmates knowing) and had a baby (without classmates knowing). It was amusing.
Tanmayi Pai, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Jacksonville, Florida, Internal Medicine
Undergraduate: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
Dream job: Hospitalist or subspecialist at an academic center, engaged in projects related to patient advocacy/health disparities, medical education and quality improvement
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: The support of my family and the hope to be worthy of the incredible trust that our patients gift to us during their most vulnerable and challenging moments
Why you chose MCASOM: I loved the small class size, the administrative staff’s kindness, and Mayo’s culture of positivity and putting patients first.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Drs. Jennifer Kleinman Sween (HIM ’14, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine) and Ariela Marshall (HEM ’18, Division of Hematology), two female mentors whose enthusiasm for clinical medicine and dedication to medical student education have been inspirational.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Mayo’s educators, from residents to world experts, are so humble, patient and inclusive. Character is everything.
Pierce Peters, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Neurological Surgery
Undergraduate: Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Hometown: Glenwood, Minnesota
Dream job: Working as an academic physician in medical student and resident education while staying involved with my family’s small business.
Why you chose MCASOM: The people and their priorities
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Joseph Matsumoto, M.D. (MED ’80, N ’85, Department of Neurology) for his constant encouragement, humor, enthusiasm, and profound caring for patients and family. Drs. Robert Spinner (MDPH ’89, NS ’00) and Fredric Meyer (NS ’88) — both in the Department of Neurological Surgery — for their guidance, support and passion for education.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I enjoy playing trumpet.
Best advice you’ve received: View each patient as a family member.
John Schupbach, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Emergency Medicine
Graduate education: Harvard Business School, MBA, Boston, Massachusetts
Undergraduate education: Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
Hometown: Aspen, Colorado
Dream job: I hope to become an excellent emergency medicine physician and leader of an organization that provides exceptional health care and education to the largest number of people possible, as rapidly as possible, worldwide.
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: I helped found and help lead Squalor to Scholar (squalortoscholar.org), a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality education and support services to deserving and talented children in India. Our students, their families and my own family are my greatest motivation.
Why you chose MCASOM: Rochester, Minnesota, by itself is an unlikely place for thousands of doctors to live and millions of patients to visit. The day I first arrived and interviewed here, I realized that “the needs of the patient come first” is not just a quote on the walls of Mayo Clinic but the ethos of the entire city. I came here to be part of that ethos, to experience the “miracle in a cornfield,” and to learn about medicine and health care from what I believe is the paragon of integrated care.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Benjamin Sandefur, M.D. (MED ’08, Department of Emergency Medicine), Kharmene Sunga, M.D. (EM ’10, Department of Emergency Medicine), Thomas Hellmich, M.D. (EM ’12, chair, Department of Emergency Medicine), James Homme, M.D. (MED ’00, PD ’03, PDCMR ’04, EM ’07, Department of Emergency Medicine), David Farley, M.D. (S ’94, Division of Breast, Endocrine, Metabolic, and Gastrointestinal Surgery), Janine Kamath (chair, Department of Management Engineering & Internal Consulting), and Clayton Christensen.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Drs. Will and Charlie Mayo and the Sisters of St. Francis were entrepreneurs who embody the ability of a small group of dedicated risk-takers with a great mission to build a global enterprise, improve the lives of millions of people, advance an entire industry and change the world. Mayo Clinic’s story is an American dream story and an example for all who wish to do well while doing good.
Kristen Sessions, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Northwestern McGaw/Lurie Children’s Hospital Chicago, Illinois, Pediatrics
Undergraduate: University of Miami, Florida
Hometown: Oviedo, Florida
Dream job: Pediatric global health with a balance of clinical care and research
Why you chose MCASOM: During my interview day I could tell the idea that the needs of the patient come first was more than a nice slogan; it was fundamental to every aspect of training and patient care.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Philip Fischer (PD ’99, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine), Dr. Jonathan Johnson (PD ’08, PDC ’11, chair, Division of Pediatric Cardiology), Dr. Eric McCollum (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Best advice you’ve received: Always plan for things to take longer than you think they should, especially IRBs.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I lived in Lilongwe, Malawi, last year and hope to work abroad full time for a few years after completing my training.
Saumya Shah, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Medicine-Preliminary; Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Ophthalmology
Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Hometown: Riverside, California
Dream job: Academic vitreo-retinal surgeon with a focus on medical student and resident education
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: The quintessential immigrant story that involves everlastingly giving and dedicated parents who gave up their careers and lives at the apex of their professions for the betterment of their children’s lives
Why you chose MCASOM: One of the hardest questions possible because it came down to that gut feeling. When I first came to interview and later during the second-look weekend, I noticed that the people here were some of the most down-to-earth and “silently successful” people I had met. I felt confident that at MCASOM, I would become a doctor in all the traditional meanings but, in the process, would continue to add to me as a dynamic human being and not lose pieces of myself just to attain a medical degree.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Too many to count! Starting from our dean, Dr. Alexandra Wolanskyj-Spinner (I ’95, HEMO ’98), to CAMP mentor Dr. David Rosenman (HMED ’04, HPT ’04, CLRSH ’07, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine), to specialty-specific female role-models like Dr. Sophie Bakri (OPH ’05, Department of Ophthalmology) and Dr. Cheryl Khanna (OPH ’96, Department of Ophthalmology).
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: Do not become jaded to the emotions associated with patients, their diseases and their social contexts. And if you do feel overwhelmed at times, just remember that the patient in front of you may be about to have one of the worst days of the rest of their lives, and they deserve the best health care advocate by their side.
Lauren E. Smith, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Cincinnati, Ohio, Pediatrics
Graduate education: University of California, Berkeley, master’s in public health in maternal and child health
Undergraduate: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Hometown: Ogdensburg, New York
Dream job: I am still unsure of exactly what field in pediatrics I want to end up in, but I would love to have a career that enables me to practice pediatrics and be actively involved in policy and advocacy.
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: The relationship I have with my daughter is incredibly dear and precious to me. Entering the field of pediatrics, I am humbled and honored to be in a position where I will be able to interact with and support other children and families.
Why you chose MCASOM: I chose MCASOM because the focus on patient-centered care, student-centered education and community-centered support was palpable on my interview day. Medical school is a challenging time that can easily become self-focused, yet MCASOM has a culture of community- and patient-centered care that has enriched my education and life through medical school.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Megan Thorvilson (PD ’16, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine) and Dr. Mark Mannenbach (PD ’96, chair, Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Emergency Medicine) have been wonderful sources of guidance, support and advice throughout medical school. I am so grateful for their influence!
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: The needs of the patient always come first. Though cliché, this culture has permeated every piece of my education and clinical experience and will absolutely impact the way I practice medicine in the future.
Kiri Sunde, M.D. candidate
Residency match: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Madison, Wisconsin, Pediatrics
Graduate education: Master’s in clinical and translational sciences (expected 2019), Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Science
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hometown: Holland, Michigan
Dream job: General pediatrician who provides primary care and subspecialty genetics care to Amish children with inherited diseases
Why you chose MCASOM: The needs of the patient come first, and the providers are quietly excellent; if I were a patient, this is where I would want to be.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Philip Fischer (PD ’99, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine), Dr. Piero Rinaldo (LABM ’98, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology)
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: “May I never see in the patient anything but a fellow creature in pain.” (Maimonides)
What would people be surprised to know about you: I took two gap years before medical school. During the first, I worked at a clinic in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that treats Amish and Mennonite children with genetic disease. I lived with an Amish host family for a summer. During the second, I taught undergraduate mathematics at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
Best advice you’ve received: “Let us emancipate the student and give him time and opportunity for the cultivation of his mind, so that in his pupilage he shall be a … reflecting being.” (Sir William Osler)
Maria Torres, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Redmond Regional Medical Center Rome, Georgia, Transitional; Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia, Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: University of Alabama in Huntsville
Hometown: Harvest, Alabama
Dream job: Anesthesiologist
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: Patients, family and friends
Why you chose MCASOM: Mayo’s patient-centered values and the opportunity to participate in the 2+2 Florida program
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Under the mentorship of Dr. Gerardo Colon-Otero (I ’82, HEM ’84, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic in Florida), I successfully completed a clinical trial from start to finish, including submitting Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board proposals and writing the final manuscript.
Best piece of advice you’ve received: Don’t change to fit in with the crowd. Always stay true to yourself.
Simrit Warring, M.D. candidate
Residency match: Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education Rochester, Minnesota, Obstetrics-Gynecology
Graduate education: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, master of science in global medicine
Undergraduate: University of California, Davis
Hometown: Folsom, California
Dream job: Gyn onc surgeon at an academic center, an educator and mentor to medical students and residents, and an advocate for creating sustainable medical training programs in developing nations
What motivates you to achieve your dreams: “… it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.” (Barack Obama)
Why you chose MCASOM: The mission-driven atmosphere and patient-care culture is unmatched across the nation. The faculty and mentor support at MCASOM is unbelievable. As the first woman to pursue professional education and first person to pursue medicine in my family, I am so appreciative for the opportunities and guidance afforded to me as a MCASOM medical student.
Mentor or adviser who has helped in your medical career: Dr. Philip Fischer (PD ’99, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine) and Dr. Dionne Hart (P ’07) for believing in me since the day I interviewed with them for medical school and for modeling the highest values while providing intentional care for vulnerable patient populations. Dr. Jamie Bakkum-Gamez (OBG ’06, GYN ’09, Division of Gynecologic Surgery) and Dr. Sharon Kim (MED ’16, OBG ‘20, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology) for their generous support and inspiration as compassionate physicians in women’s health. Drs. Jane Rosenman (PD ’04, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine) and David Rosenman (HMED ’04, HPT ’04, CLRSH ’07, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine) for their kind hearts and wise perspectives on living a meaningful life through mentorship and service in the community.
Most valuable lesson you’ve learned at Mayo Clinic: A physician’s purpose goes beyond treating and curing ailments. Above all else, a physician should aspire to always heal and comfort patients.
What would people be surprised to know about you: I grew up on our family’s rural farm in northern India, chewing on sugar cane we harvested and making friends with the stray dogs.